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MONTE CARLO — “24” beat tough competish from “The Sopranos” and “The West Wing” while “Curb Your Enthusiasm” outdid “Sex and the City” and “Will and Grace” to pick up outstanding producer of the year kudos for, respectively, U.S drama and comedy series at the Monte Carlo TV Festival Golden Nymph awards on Saturday.

“24” cast members including Dennis Haysbert were in Monaco, although Kiefer Sutherland, who netted actor honors for U.S. drama, was notable for his absence. Allison Janney took the actress nod for her role in “The West Wing.”

In the U.S. comedy section, “Curb Your Enthusiasm’s” Larry David won the actor prize and was also credited as producer along with the show’s Jeff Garlin, Robert B. Weide and Tim Gibbons.

The Nymphs were among 26 handed out in various categories plus numerous special prizes at the 43rd edition of the prestigious European event, which kicked off June 30 and closed Saturday.

‘Tipping’ scores

The U.K.’s Sally Head Prod., which produced period drama “Tipping the Velvet” for the BBC, walked away with European producer.

Related

The BBC’s “Out of Control” won for TV film, while “White Teeth,” from the U.K.’s Company Pictures, drew miniseries honors.

BBC News 24 nabbed 24-hour news program for “Iraq War.”

The recently added format Gold Nymphs went to Endemol’s behemoth “Big Brother” for international format, while “The Price Is Right” from the U.K.’s FremantleMedia netted the international format masterpiece category.

Helen Mirren was on hand to promote the TV version of Tennessee Williams’ “The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone,” which was in competish, while Catherine Deneuve was in town for the world premiere of Gallic web TF1’s modern version of “Dangerous Liaisons.”

The less glamorous, three-day format forum, sandwiched between Ted Turner’s Golden Nymph award on June 30 and the awards night, attracted an A-list of 140 producers, distributors and buyers out of 1,100 participants for the festival itself.

Help given

Some 40 buyers from 30 countries attended the event, including Andrea Wong and Duncan Gray, two senior acquisition execs from U.S. network ABC who were in town to discuss format trends and advise distribs and producers on how to get their formats on air in the U.S.

Buyers were also here to shop for new formats and Sony’s reality talkshow “Flashback,” which uses hypnotic regression to help people gain control of their fears, nightmares and memories, ranked as the most screened program.

Runners up were BBC Worldwide’s “The Sack Race,” in which two contestants compete to be fired from their job on their first day, and Celador Intl.’s “Chain of Thought,” in which two players go head to head in a cerebral challenge to find connections between everything from people to places, literature to movies and historical events to popular culture.

Major networking op

While the format workshop seemed fairly low-key, delegates remarked that, unlike Mip TV or Mipcom, Monte Carlo gave them “quality time” with senior buyers. Many Brits also likened the event to the Edinburgh Intl. Television Festival, which attracts senior U.K. execs and is a key networking opportunity.

David Tomatis, exec VP of the Monte Carlo TV Festival, admitted there was more work to be done to create greater interaction between the festival and the format forum, but he was happy with the event overall.

“If formats are the hot topic next year, then I have no problem with renewing it. We will start to look at that in September. I am much happier with the conference content this year because last year, it was too diversified.”

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